One of a good winemaker’s most impressive skills is to look at the components of a wine and work out which barrels will come together in the bottle for great future drinking.

Lynnette using the pipette for exact measurement of blending options for the 2012 Tongue in Groove Pinot Noir.

There’s always a little leap of faith, a letting go of the science and believing in the magic for a moment.

Growing food also needs foresight, and as I write this I’m making small leaps of spring-like faith all over The Food Farm!

While there’s always weeding to be done, much of the industry at this time of year happens on a piece of paper. I stare at its blankness and try to invoke a little winemaker crystal-ball gazing.

Will the season be as cool as 2012 or as warm as 2013? Will it be a bad frost or a nor’wester (warm blustery winds) season? How many tomatoes should I plant outside, do we need more strawberries, will we have enough pasture for all the spring lambs?

Experience should have bred pessimism, but instead optimism abounds in the warm sunshine of today. I plant a little too much, a little too early, hold my breath and take the leap of faith.

Basil seedlings. The epitome of optimism in August!